Until this year, the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers were the model of futility — 9-73. A .110 winning percentage. A team led by Fred Carter and John Block (when Block was healthy) that had a lot of role-playing veterans on the downside of their career.

But if Charlotte loses its final two games — at Orlando Wednesday and at home against the Knicks Thursday — they will set the new record. Michael Jordan’s team (he is the owner) will be 7-59, a .106 winning percentage. The Bobcats best chance for a win seemed to be Monday night, but they got beat handily by a weak Wizards team. The record seems there.

Kevin Loughery coached the 76ers for half of their ill-fated season, he’s seen the Bobcats and he thinks his team was better, he told Fox Sports Florida.

“Talent-wise, they might be the worst team ever,” Kevin Loughery, who coached the 76ers during the second half of their Keystone Kops-like campaign, said of the Bobcats. “We had more talent than they did.”

Not sure that the fine folks at NBA2K12 are going to program that one up and play it out for us to see who wins. The Bobcats average loss is 13.9 points per game compared to 12.1 for the old Sixers squad. (I would love to see the per possession stats here, but the league did not track offensive rebounds at that point, which makes estimating pace impossible to do accurately.)

Loughery was Jordan’s first coach in Chicago. He feels for him.

“They’re just playing with a lot of 10-day contract (type of players) now,” said Loughery, speaking by phone from Atlanta, where he is now retired. “That’s difficult… I know it’s just miserable what they’re going through for (Charlotte coach) Paul Silas, who’s a great guy, and (owner) Michael Jordan, whom I coached. I just hate to see this happen to them.”

Jordan has certainly helped bring this on himself. He is a small market owner without deep pockets who can’t afford to go into the red. The result is an inexpensive and young roster lacking veterans or stars — he is hoping to build through the draft. Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo are the first two, but you know Jordan thinks he will look smart if they land Anthony Davis in June.

For now, the Bobcats just look pathetic. And with less talent than any team in NBA history.

the Wizards have shown little appetite for dealing Otto Porter anywhere for a return heavy on future assets and cap flexibility, sources say

John Wall‘s massive contract looked barely movable even before he underwent season-ending surgery. Washington seems unwilling to take a step back by trading star Bradley Beal.

So, that leaves unloading Porter – who’s earning $26,011,913 this year and due $55,739,815 over the next two seasons – as the obvious way to create cap flexibility and accumulate future assets. If the Wizards are unwilling to do that, it speaks volumes to their plan.

They don’t want to rebuild. They want to win now. Porter can help them do that.

In many ways, it’s noble Washington is so committed to winning, even at great expense. That’s generally what we want from teams. We don’t want them to give up or cut costs just because they’re a couple games out of playoff position midway through the season.

But the Wizards’ spending has been… uneven. Leonsis greenlit a payroll well into the luxury tax and is apparently willing to keep Porter, which likely keeps that payroll high. Yet, Washington is also holding as many roster spots vacant as allowed, offering small savings rather than adding depth amid multiple injuries.

Maybe the Wizards just don’t believe they could sign minimum-salary players who’d actually help. But insurance never hurts on the court.

So, Washington is left looking content holding its few major contracts, nickeling-and-diming down the roster, winning a barely moderate amount and not gaining better position for the future. I’m unconvinced that’s a worthy vision, but if that’s what the Wizards want, keeping Porter helps stay that course.

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing an opponent in an attempt to escalate a physical altercation and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, which took place after Smart was assessed his second technical foul and was ejected, occurred with 7:35 remaining in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 19

Smart was seemingly near the line between this fine and a suspension. He’s fortunate to land on the side he did.